Swedish shipping firm Wallenius SOL will power its two LNG-fueled ConRo vessels, Baltic Enabler and Botnia Enabler, with bio-LNG thanks to a new agreement with Finnish state-owned energy company Gasum.
Under the agreement, Gasum will supply bio-LNG, or liquefied biogas (LBG) to Wallenius SOL through a pooling arrangement, the latter said in a statement on Thursday.
According to the shipping firm, the first bunkering operations of LBG took place in early October.
Wallenius SOL did not provide further details regarding the arrangement.
The shipping firm noted that LBG is produced from organic waste streams and is chemically identical to LNG, which means it can be used directly in existing dual-fuel engines without modifications.
Moreover, Wallenius SOL said that the introduction of LBG allows customers to reduce their Scope 3 emissions, the indirect emissions from logistics and transport.
The LBG is certified under RED II and traceable via ISCC, and it is produced from Nordic residual streams, ensuring no conflict with food production, it said.
Wallenius Sol operates regular scheduled services between several ports in northern Finland and Sweden, Germany, the Benelux region, and the United Kingdom.
The company’s vessels handle trailers, containers, and project cargo, for example, for the paper and steel industries.
In 2022, Wallenius SOL took delivery of two LNG-powered vessels specially designed to work with the shipping company’s existing vessels.
China’s CIMC Raffles in Yantai delivered Botnia Enabler in May 2022, followed by Baltic Enabler in June the same year.
The ships feature two 685-cbm type C LNG tanks, provided by MAN Cryo, as well as two WinGD dual-fuel main engines.
